Better Late
by Silver Sparklze
Summary: Gabriella read right through the New Year Party, and finally went to bed at 2 o’clock. She didn’t even notice that it was snowing. Set just before, during, and after High School Musical 1


Title: Better Late

Summary: Gabriella read right through the New Year Party, and finally went to bed at 2 o'clock. She didn't even notice that it was snowing.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea. The song _So Long Status Quo_ is by Nichole Nordeman.

Author's Notes: As soon as I heard that song I _had_ to write a HSM fic around it. The full lyrics are at the bottom.

---------------------

When her mom tried to take her book away Gabriella begged to be allowed to keep reading, to not have to go to some stupid party. She didn't like talking to strangers, and wasn't this holiday supposed to be about fun, anyway?

After staring deeply into her daughter's chocolate eyes for a moment, her mom agreed and left the girl to read.

Gabriella read right through the New Year Party, and finally went to bed at 2 o'clock. She didn't even notice that it was snowing.

---------------------

Troy left the stage after his bit of the first verse, and no one could convince him to get back up there. He was slightly shocked at how well he could sing, but didn't really care for it. After all; he was basketball guy. And the chick he was singing with wasn't really into it, either. So no big.

He spent the rest of the New Year's party staring blankly out the window. Somehow, he felt like something was missing. But what?

---------------------

East High was just like every other high school she'd been to…big, loud, and full of people she didn't know. So Gabrielle clutched her books tightly, and gladly attached herself to Taylor McKessie when the other girl chatted to her in Science. She told her all the people to avoid ("Sharpay's a witch with a capital B. And a total attention hog, too. She's part of the drama club, and her little clique has the monopoly on all the major gigs around here, and stay out of their way. If Sharpay found a way to play both Romeo and Juliet, she'd kick her own brother out of the club"), and all about the school activities ("We have an okay basketball team, but the guys are all lunkheads, more's the pity. The playmaker, Troy, is pretty cute. Still, the cheerleaders are way possessive of him"). She even invited Gabriella to join the Scholastic Decathlon, an offer that the girl gratefully accepted.

But when they won the Scholastic Decathlon it didn't matter. All anyone cared about was that the Wildcats had lost the semi-finals…and all because Troy fumbled an easy pass.

---------------------

Gabriella wasn't really into musicals, but she went along to the Winter Musical, _Twinkle Towne,_ simply because it was a school activity, and she felt bad that she didn't go to any basketball games. It was as gimmicky as she'd thought it would be, but one song, Minnie's solo, really touched her. It felt wrong, though, the way it was sung. Somehow, she thought it should have been a slow ballad, not the peppy pop-tune it ended up being. 

Timidly, she approached the pianist and composer of the musical after the last show had ended, and the audience was gone.

"Hey," she said shyly.

The tiny composer peeked up at her from below a hat brim. "Hi," she replied, just as shyly.

"Uh…I'm Gabriella Montez."

"Kelsi Nielsen"

"You composed the entire musical?"

Pink tinged the girl's cheeks. "Uh huh."

"It's…um, it's really good. I especially liked Minnie's solo." Gabriella felt her own cheeks redden.

Kelsi scowled. "Sharpay made me change that entire song around," she revealed bitterly.

"Well…maybe you could show me how it's supposed to go?" Gabriella offered.

Kelsi's face brightened. "Yeah!" She ran over to the piano, shuffling the music around until the right notes were before her.

Gabriella closed her eyes, letting the opening notes wash over her. Then, to both her and Kelsi's surprise, she began to sing.

"_The gate is wide__  
The road is paved in moderation  
The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in  
Welcome to the middle ground  
You're safe and sound and  
Until now it's where I've been_

_'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything  
But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings_

_So long status quo  
I think I just let go  
You make me want to be brave  
The way it always was  
Is no longer good enough  
You make me want to be brave  
Brave, brave…_" she trailed away, blushing and unable to finish the song. That was all she remembered, anyway. But that the lyrics had made such a quick impression on her…it was weird. She wasn't really a music type of girl. She was the freaky math geek, the weird science nerd.

"That was great!" Kelsi exclaimed. "That's how it was supposed to be sung!"

"It sounded better that way," Gabriella said softly. "The song, I mean."

"Yeah. You're really talented. Um…this might sound a little weird, but would you like to sing with me sometime? I mean, you're really good, and sometimes I have new stuff…and my voice isn't really up to it, sometimes."

Gabriella nodded eagerly. "Sure! I…I'd love to!"

"Great!" The tiny composer flashed her a happy smile. "I'm here most days, or you can come over to my house, I have a piano there, or whatever, you can call me and tell me a good time…"

"Take it easy, Kelsi. Here, put your number in my phone, and I'll put mine in yours." They swapped phones. "Great! Well…I gotta go. Homework. See you 'round?"

"Sure."

Smiling, Gabriella skipped off. Something had been missing from her life until now…but a part of that missing puzzle had slotted itself into place. And she was happy.

---------------------

A sort of tradition evolved after that. Kelsi liked to hang around after school and play songs in the music room. Gabriella didn't have a ride until her mom got off work. So they hung out, Kelsi playing the piano, and Gabriella singing her heart out. Even though she spent less time doing homework, her grades actually seemed to get better.

Then one day everything changed.

---------------------

Troy dragged himself out of the school grounds wearily, wondering how he could have gone from so good to so horrible. Sure, he could still play, but he no longer deserved to be called the playmaker, even if his friends wouldn't let him give up the position. His averages were way down, and he fumbled at the most inopportune of moments.

"_Na na na na_  
_Na na na na  
Ye-ah  
You are the music in me_"

The soft musical tones made the young man look up, curious. He'd thought the school would be deserted by this time. The only activity scheduled was basketball practice, and that had finished over two hours ago.

"_You know the words Once Upon A Time_  
_Makes you listen  
There's a reason_"

It was so beautiful; the voice was sweet and sincere. Almost in a daze, Troy followed the sound, making his way to the music room.

"_When you dream_  
_There's a chance you'll find  
A little laughter  
Or happy ever after_"

He opened the door, startling the two occupants. Both girls gasped, then blushed. 

"Oh, sorry…" He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "I heard the singing and it was really nice, so…"

"That was Gabriella," the one at the piano said. "I'm Kelsi, by the way. Gabriella, this is Troy Bolton, our star basketball player. Troy, this is Gabriella Montez. She just started here this semester."

"Nice to meet you," Gabriella said shyly.

Troy nodded. "You too."

They locked eyes, and then…

_This is it,_ they both thought. _That missing piece. This is what I've been searching for._

"Would you like to sing with Gabriella?" Kelsi asked. "This is really a duet, and it's for a girl and a guy, so I can't do it."

"Oh…uh…I'm not really into the whole singing thing," Troy muttered.

"Oh c'mon, you can't be that bad," Gabriella said. "Just one song? We do this every week, and the duets don't sound half so good with no partner."

"Well, all right." Trying not to blush, Troy made his way over to the piano, hovering close to Gabriella so he could see the words.

"This is where we're at." One long slender finger pointed to the place. "We sing this bit together."

Clearing his throat, Troy nodded, and Kelsi began to play again.

"_Your harmony's a melody_  
_That's echoing inside my head_  
_A single voice  
Above the noise  
And like a common thread_"

"_Ooh, you're pulling me,_" Troy sang softly.

They both looked at one another in shock.

"You two sound great!" Kelsi said excitedly. "You have to try out for the spring musical! Please? I don't want to work with Sharpay and Ryan again!"

"I will if Troy will," Gabriella said, smiling.

This time Troy did blush. "Well, all right."

"Great! This is just great!"

_This could be the start  
Of something new  
It feels so right  
To be here with you  
Oh-oh-oh  
And now looking in your eyes  
I feel in my heart_

**The start of something new.**

The End

_The gate is wide__  
The road is paved in moderation  
The crowd is kind and quick to pull you in  
Welcome to the middle ground  
You're safe and sound and  
Until now it's where I've been_

_'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything  
But it's been love, Your love, that cuts the strings_

_So long status quo  
I think I just let go  
You make me want to be brave  
The way it always was  
Is no longer good enough  
You make me want to be brave  
Brave, brave_

_I am small  
And I speak when I'm spoken to  
But I am willing to risk it all  
I say Your name  
Just Your name and I'm ready to jump  
Even ready to fall..._

_Why did I take this vow of compromise?  
Why did I try to keep it all inside?_

_I've never known a fire that didn't begin with a flame  
Every storm will start with just a drop of rain  
But if You believe in me  
That changes everything  
So long, I'm gone  
You make me want to be brave_

-Nichole Nordeman


End file.
